Jobs, Skills, and Sovereignty: Building Riverina’s Next Economy
Strengthening Riverina with opportunities, expertise, and economic security.
Stay, Work, and Thrive
“You shouldn’t have to leave Riverina to build a future.” That is not just a campaign line. It is a statement of principle. Across our towns, too many young people feel they must move to Sydney, Melbourne, or Canberra to find opportunity. Parents watch their children pack up not because they want to leave, but because they feel they have no choice. Meanwhile, we are told to be satisfied with business as usual, low-growth sectors, short-term grants, political point-scoring, and an economy that does not match the talent of our people.
Chaos Breeds Opportunity
But the world is changing. It is volatile. It is chaotic, and while chaos carries risk, it also creates opportunity. Supply chains are shifting. Defence investment is rising. Advanced manufacturing is returning. Space technology is no longer theoretical; it is operational. Nations are looking inward to secure critical industries.
Riverina’s Future, Our Choice
The question is simple: will Riverina seize that opportunity, or will we watch it pass us by? As an independent candidate, I am not bound by party lines or factional loyalties. My job is not to defend a national talking point. My job is to build a regional future, and that future is high-skilled, sovereign, and rooted right here at home.
An Estimated 10-Year Jobs & Skills Plan
The Jobs, Skills & Regional Industry Package
I am proposing a ten-year plan with estimated total costs between $550 million and $850 million. These figures are projections, estimates based on comparable federal industry programmes, infrastructure benchmarks, manufacturing incentive schemes, and regional skills investments. They are not final line-item budgets. They would be refined in partnership with industry, the Treasury, and relevant departments. But the scale is deliberate. If we are serious about diversification and high-skilled employment, we must invest at a serious level. On average, this represents approximately $55–85 million per year over a decade, focused not on subsidies for decline, but on building the industries of the future.
Apprenticeships & Traineeships – Estimated $120–180 Million
Skills are the foundation. An estimated $120–180 million over ten years would expand apprenticeships, traineeships, and trade pathways tied directly to local industry growth areas, advanced manufacturing, ag-tech systems, precision engineering, electrical trades, robotics maintenance, and fabrication. I will work closely with TAFE NSW to align training pipelines with actual industry demand. Too often, we train young people for jobs that do not exist locally. That must end. This funding would support:
- Subsidised apprenticeship placements
- Employer incentive partnerships
- Equipment upgrades for regional training facilities
- Structured school-to-trade transition programmes
Our Future Matches Our Past
We are a high-skilled nation; our past reflects that. From rail to agriculture to engineering, Australia has built complex systems before. There is no excuse for our future to be smaller than our history.
Ag-Tech & Food Processing Hubs – Estimated $200–300 Million
Riverina feeds the nation, but too often we export raw products and import value-added goods. An estimated $200–300 million over ten years would support regional ag-tech and food processing hubs, facilities that integrate automation, water efficiency systems, data analytics, and advanced packaging technologies. This is about:
- Precision irrigation technologies
- Smart logistics integration
- Onshore processing expansion
- Export-grade manufacturing standards
- Instead of shipping opportunities elsewhere, we build them here.
Regional Manufacturing Incentives – Estimated $150–250 Million
Australia is rethinking sovereign capability, particularly in defence, aerospace, and critical technologies. An estimated $150–250 million over ten years would establish regional manufacturing incentives designed to attract and scale high-skill production, including precision components, electronics assembly, composite materials, and advanced tooling. This includes supporting supply chain participation for companies such as Gilmour Space Technologies, whose launch systems and propulsion technologies require specialised manufacturing inputs. Our Defence forces require advanced instruments, components, and systems, not just in the future, but now. There is no reason Riverina cannot contribute to that capability. This is what I mean by diversification—not slogans, but production.
Digital Connectivity & Work Hubs – Estimated $80–120 Million
If we want an advanced industry, we need an advanced infrastructure. An estimated $80–120 million would upgrade digital connectivity, expand regional co-working and innovation hubs, and support remote high-skilled employment pathways. Young engineers, designers, and analysts should not be forced into capital cities simply for bandwidth.
Space & Advanced Manufacturing Capacity – Estimated $120–200 Million
Australia’s space and defence ecosystems are expanding. Riverina should not be absent from that growth. An estimated $120–200 million over ten years would help establish:
- Advanced fabrication facilities
- Instrument calibration labs
- Composite materials production
- Micro-manufacturing clusters
Sovereign Capability Matters
We should be building instruments that support sovereign launch systems, satellite platforms, and defence technologies. If we can grow the food that feeds the nation, we can build the systems that protect it.
Where the Money Comes From
These are estimated projections based on a blended funding model:
- 40% Federal industry & skills programmes
- 45% Private investment
- 15% Local and state contributions
Government Funding That Counts
This is not reckless spending. It is a structured investment. Government funding provides foundational capital through mechanisms such as Infrastructure Australia, regional growth programmes, and national industry funds. But the government does not build everything itself. Government money is used to:
- De-risk projects
- Guarantee early-stage demand
- Provide long-term certainty
Opening Growth Opportunities
That unlocks:
- Superannuation funds
- Agricultural investment capital
- Logistics and processing companies
- University and TAFE partnerships
What This Means for Families
High-skilled jobs are not just economic metrics. They shape community life. A diversified economy means:
- Children can gain knowledge locally.
- Leisure is not an escape from stagnation, but an expression of fulfilment
- Our towns grow with purpose and beauty.
- Contact with nature is preserved, not sacrificed
It is a society that honours both creation and the human spirit. That is not abstract. It is practical. Strong jobs anchor families. Anchored families strengthen schools. Strong schools sustain communities.
An Independent Approach
We live in a time when politics is entrenched. Too often, parties sabotage progress because it might give the other side a win before the next election. The cycle repeats, and nothing structural changes. Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.”
Independence Means Honesty
That is my approach. Some people ask how I will deliver everything I have outlined, not only here but also in my broader policy agenda. The answer is simple. I will try everything within my power. If something fails, I will admit it. I will not gaslight the public. I will not pretend a mistake was a success. I will not blame someone else for my own decisions. I am human. I will get things wrong. But I will always tell you the truth. You may not like every answer, but you will know it is honest. That is what independence means.
The Choice Before Us
There is a great future that awaits Riverina. But we must decide whether we want it. Are we content with incremental decline and political theatre? Or do we build high-skilled industries tied to place, jobs that allow young people to stay, raise families, and contribute to a sovereign Australia? The world is in chaos, and supply chains are shifting. Defence investment is rising. Technology is accelerating. We can either watch opportunity pass overhead, or we can build the launchpad beneath it. You should not have to leave Riverina to build a future, and if I am elected as your independent representative, I will fight transparently, honestly, and relentlessly to make sure you don’t have to.
